Best of 2017: Top 40 Photographs From Around the World

Well, another year has gone by and it’s safe to say that it has been a memorable one. We’ve had a great year for photography with an abundance of images to fill us with uncontainable joy, laughter, heartache, anger, sorrow, exhilaration, and wanderlust. It’s only natural to want to feel it all again by taking a look back at the best photos of 2017.

As a year saturated with heated political discourse, shocking (but not-so-shocking) scandals, and devastating natural disasters across the globe, it’s especially important to take a look back and remember the bright spots of the past 12 months. Luckily, hope and lightness can always be tapped into through photography. Every photo is a moment frozen in time, with its own set of visual and emotional levels of value.

Often used as a medium to document life, photography serves as a modern-day time capsule. Instead of waiting decades to unlock this visual treasure trove, let’s take a look back at the remarkable images that have graced our consciousness over the past 365 days.

(For any photographers eagerly looking forward to getting their work discovered, published, and awarded in 2018, keep in mind that there are several photo competitions to submit your images to—this includes the Sony World Photo Awards which is free to enter and has an early January 2018 deadline.)

This year has been filled with beauty, adventure, laughs, and wanderlust. Let’s take a look back with the best photos of 2017.